Shrub Responses after Fire in an Idaho Ponderosa Pine Community

Short-term vegetation response to wildfire in the eastern Sierra Nevada: Implications for recovering an endangered ungulate

“…In accordance with other studies (Sachro et al, 2005), post-wildfire changes in forage composition were longer lasting than changes in overall green biomass. In Wyoming, post-wildfire biomass rebounded within 1 year at xeric sites (Merrill et al, 1980) but took three years in shrub dominated sites (Merrill et al, 1982). Thus, the two year rebound time-frame we documented fits with the literature as our study site is shrub dominated with limited xeric and forest cover.…”

Production and Nutrient Content of Two Shrub Species Related to Fire in Central Idaho

“…Physocarpus malvaceus responded to the fire with increases in nutrients and weight of current year's growth similar to the response reported by Merrill et al (1982). Warm Januaries and lower December precipitation values produced higher weights of P. malvaceus, whereas increased October temperatures increased weights of C. ledifolius.…”

Trophic consequences of postfire logging in a wolf–ungulate system

“…The effects of postfire logging may vary, however, negatively impacting late-succession species or positively affecting early-seral species, as evidenced by studies of ground dwelling beetles in the boreal forest following postfire logging (Koivula and Spence, 2006;Phillips et al, 2006). Earlyseral ungulate species such as moose (Alces alces), elk (Cervus elaphus), mule (Odocoileus hemionas) and white-tailed deer (Odoicoleus virginianus) may benefit from fire because they consume plant species that increase following fire (Peek, 1974;Merrill et al, 1982;Smith, 2000), which may translate to demographic benefits (Boyce and Merrill, 1991;Taper and Gogan, 2002). Unfortunately, few if any studies have explicitly examined effects of postfire logging on ungulates (McIver and Starr, 2000).…”